xxii, 698 pages ; 25 cm

David and Goliath, the call of Samuel, the witch of Endor, David and Bathsheba--such biblical stories are well known. But the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, where they are recorded, are among the most difficult books in the Bible. The Hebrew text is widely considered corrupt and sometimes even unintelligible; the social and religious customs are strange and seem to diverge from the tradition of Moses. In this first part of an ambitious two-volume commentary on the books of Samuel, David Toshio Tsumura sheds considerable light on the background of 1 Samuel, looking carefully at the Philistine and Canaanite cultures, as he untangles the difficult Hebrew text

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Title -- Text -- Date and authorship -- Historical and religious background -- Grammar and syntax -- Discourse analysis -- Prose and poetry -- Literary structure and themes -- Theology of 1 Samuel -- Purpose of 1 Samuel -- Outline of 1 Samuel -- Select bibliography -- Text and commentary -- "Story of Samuel"--with the embedded "story of the ark of God" (1:1-7:17) -- Transition to the monarchy (8:1-22) -- "Story of Saul" (9:1-15:35) -- "Story of Saul and David" (16:1-31:13)

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